Director: Fukasaku Kinji Duration: 99 Minutes
Opening with an image of the atomic bomb reducing Hiroshima to ashes, Fukasaku Kinji's Battles without Honor and Humanity begins a series of five movies depicting the chaotic life of Hirono Shozo a former soldier who is trying to survive in the chaotic world of the black markets in postwar Japan. A pretty even-tempered man, the viewer first witnesses Hirono lash out in violence when a group of American GIs try to rape a woman. Amidst the chaos of the black market with its prostitutes, underground rice kitchens, and violent bars, one of Hirono's friend's head is slashed by a yakuza. A rival yakuza was going to deal with the man, but in his stead Hoshino seeks revenge for his friend. Faced with a drunken, sword wielding yakuza Hirono empties his pistol into the man, and receives a twelve year sentence. However, while in prison, he meets another yakuza named Wakasugi who plans to slice open his stomach in order to get out of jail on bail. Promising to raise Hirono's bail money if he helps him in his plot, Wakasugi introduces Hirono into the world of the yakuza and the two men become blood brothers.
A short time afterward, Hirono is released from prison and meets the head of the Doi family, the clan of the yakuza he went to jail for, and Yamamori the man who will soon be his gang boss. After Yamamori establishes his own gang, Hirono and several other toughs pledge their allegiance to him. However, almost from the beginning there is internal fighting in the ranks. How can a man as straight laced an honorable as Hirono work for a man like Yamamori who continuously plays his men against each other?
During the late 1950s and the early 1960s a style of film called ninkyou eiga, or chivalry films became popular in Japan. For the most part these films portrayed yakuza as chivalrous beings who protected and preserved time honored traditions in Japan and expelled Western influences. Quite often in these films Westerners, Japanese heavily influenced by the West, and individuals of mixed blood were portrayed as villains while the sword wielding yakuza represented the purity of the Japanese spirit. It is not surprising that real yakuza were highly attracted to these films. However, Fukasaku Kinji viewed this portrayal of the yakuza as false and the ninkyou eiga films' portrayal of the yakuza, i.e. Japanese spirit, as being quite close to the wartime mentality. When Hirono draws his pistol and kills the sword-wielding yakuza it is a statement that the world of the yakuza is built on chaos and corruption not pure spirit. A highly recommended film and series for those who enjoy yakuza films and an important series for those who are interested in the evolution of the yakuza film.
Opening with an image of the atomic bomb reducing Hiroshima to ashes, Fukasaku Kinji's Battles without Honor and Humanity begins a series of five movies depicting the chaotic life of Hirono Shozo a former soldier who is trying to survive in the chaotic world of the black markets in postwar Japan. A pretty even-tempered man, the viewer first witnesses Hirono lash out in violence when a group of American GIs try to rape a woman. Amidst the chaos of the black market with its prostitutes, underground rice kitchens, and violent bars, one of Hirono's friend's head is slashed by a yakuza. A rival yakuza was going to deal with the man, but in his stead Hoshino seeks revenge for his friend. Faced with a drunken, sword wielding yakuza Hirono empties his pistol into the man, and receives a twelve year sentence. However, while in prison, he meets another yakuza named Wakasugi who plans to slice open his stomach in order to get out of jail on bail. Promising to raise Hirono's bail money if he helps him in his plot, Wakasugi introduces Hirono into the world of the yakuza and the two men become blood brothers.
A short time afterward, Hirono is released from prison and meets the head of the Doi family, the clan of the yakuza he went to jail for, and Yamamori the man who will soon be his gang boss. After Yamamori establishes his own gang, Hirono and several other toughs pledge their allegiance to him. However, almost from the beginning there is internal fighting in the ranks. How can a man as straight laced an honorable as Hirono work for a man like Yamamori who continuously plays his men against each other?
During the late 1950s and the early 1960s a style of film called ninkyou eiga, or chivalry films became popular in Japan. For the most part these films portrayed yakuza as chivalrous beings who protected and preserved time honored traditions in Japan and expelled Western influences. Quite often in these films Westerners, Japanese heavily influenced by the West, and individuals of mixed blood were portrayed as villains while the sword wielding yakuza represented the purity of the Japanese spirit. It is not surprising that real yakuza were highly attracted to these films. However, Fukasaku Kinji viewed this portrayal of the yakuza as false and the ninkyou eiga films' portrayal of the yakuza, i.e. Japanese spirit, as being quite close to the wartime mentality. When Hirono draws his pistol and kills the sword-wielding yakuza it is a statement that the world of the yakuza is built on chaos and corruption not pure spirit. A highly recommended film and series for those who enjoy yakuza films and an important series for those who are interested in the evolution of the yakuza film.